All within a week, NY has been hit with an Earthquake and a Hurricane (now called a Tropical Storm).
On Tuesday afternoon, it felt so surreal when I heard that Virginia had a 5.8 magnitude earthquake and the vibrations were felt in NYC and the surrounding areas. NY of all the places had an earthquake while the chances of feeling an earthquake while we lived in the West for over 2 years was much higher. We never felt a tremble, or a slight vibration during the years we lived in Reno. New Yorkers trembled for a second but moved on very quickly. NY hasn't experienced an earthquake like this in a really long time.
Hurricane Irene, a predicted Category 2 or 3 Hurricane expected to hit NY and vicinity on Saturday night into Sunday was downgraded to a tropical storm.
New Yorkers prepared for the Hurricane with evacuations, stocking up food & water, and taking necessary precautions - at least majority of them did. Even the electronic road signs warned about the impending hurricane and evacuation plan. MTA shut down, toll booths were free of charge, and bridges and major roads were closed to prepare for a monster that was on the path to NYC. A city which never sleeps had a day of rest.
Luckily, the hurricane warning became a tropical storm by the time it reached NY area. Severe flooding on highways, train tracks and local roads became the main issue. Trees were uprooted and branches broke off on to roads, houses, and cars. Powers are down for thousands of people in the area.
In a nutshell, though hurricane Irene changed to a tropical storm the impact of the storm was quite big. The devastation would have been much more if the path of Hurricane had not have weakened. Yet, it will take days for everything to normalize. It will take time for people to rebuild.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
A day in Boston
Weather in the East has not been cooperating with us for the past 2 weeks. North East has not settled for summer time weather as of yet.
Our 1 day trip to DC to visit the US Capitol had to be moved for the very reason of unpredictable weather forecast in the North East particularly in the DC area. Therefore we had to change our road trip direction to Boston, MA.
We left around 10 AM from Yonkers and got to Hartford, CT by around noon. After lunch, we headed to Boston. Since the Boston Bruins secured the title of Stanley Cup Champions, there was a "rolling rally" celebration which ended around the time we arrived at Boston. Roads were blocked off, litter was every where, streets were crowded with fans, and traffic was chaotic. Luckily we were able to find parking near the Capitol building. We took pictures of the Capitol building, walked around Boston Common which is the oldest park in the country.
Around 7PM we headed to Charles River to get a skyline shot of Boston. Ajo enjoyed taking a few skyline shots and it was there we got called "hindu" by a random guy stopped at a traffic light. Our response was silence. Let us leave that event there.
We drove back home that night and reached back in Yonkers past midnight.
Highlights of the Trip
Our 1 day trip to DC to visit the US Capitol had to be moved for the very reason of unpredictable weather forecast in the North East particularly in the DC area. Therefore we had to change our road trip direction to Boston, MA.
We left around 10 AM from Yonkers and got to Hartford, CT by around noon. After lunch, we headed to Boston. Since the Boston Bruins secured the title of Stanley Cup Champions, there was a "rolling rally" celebration which ended around the time we arrived at Boston. Roads were blocked off, litter was every where, streets were crowded with fans, and traffic was chaotic. Luckily we were able to find parking near the Capitol building. We took pictures of the Capitol building, walked around Boston Common which is the oldest park in the country.
Around 7PM we headed to Charles River to get a skyline shot of Boston. Ajo enjoyed taking a few skyline shots and it was there we got called "hindu" by a random guy stopped at a traffic light. Our response was silence. Let us leave that event there.
We drove back home that night and reached back in Yonkers past midnight.
Highlights of the Trip
- MA State Capitol
- Boston Common Park
- Charles River Skyline
Weekend in Philadelphia AKA Cheese Steaks Tour
I had no idea what I was getting into when I signed up to spend the weekend in Philadelphia along with my husband and brother in-law. No offense, I had a wonderful time but let me explain why my blog is titled this way.
Contrary to our original plan to visit Harrisburg & Gettysburg on the weekend of June 11, we headed out to Philadelphia due to a storm moving in to the North East which was likely to cause severe thunder storms in Mid Pennsylvania. We did get a few showers while we were in Philadelphia but overall the weather was pretty good.
We reached Philadelphia around mid day and headed to Steve's Cheese Steak place and had lunch there. It was a tad bit pricey but the food was pretty savory. After lunch we headed to Independence Park and spent the entire afternoon and evening exploring a part of Philadelphia we never knew existed. We visited the independence hall, the liberty bell, and walked around the park and the vicinity. We even so a Junior Ranger getting sworn in to the National Park Systems. Ajo did say Congrats to the girl and I am not quite sure if she was happy about a stranger shaking her hands.
I was pondering what to eat for dinner but apparently it was cheese steak again. We headed to Pat's King of Steak's. Located next to their competitor Gino's, and in the corner of a busy single lane intersection, the lines ended up in the road. Not the safest situation but we did decide to stay in line and finally came to the counter after about a hour of wait. By dinner time, I was not a fan of cheese steaks anymore but I did have a taste. Ajo and Justin loved what they ate but had a few criticisms. By this time, it was about 10PM and we headed to the hotel we had booked through hotels.com only to realize when we got there that they had overbooked that particular hotel. Hence, we had to go to another hotel nearby. Tired and a little annoyed we drove some more miles to the hotel. We were lucky to receive the room since it was raining pretty hard by the time we reached the hotel.
We woke up the next morning to another day and as previously planned we headed out to the 7 mile road church pastor-ed by Ajay Thomas. We had a great time in worship and we met some old friends, made some new friends, and chatted with church members. We pray that God raise up that church to be a beacon of light in that area and already He has started a good work and will surely make His plans to come to pass.
After Church, lunch was again at another cheese steak place called Tony Luke's. By now this was the 3rd consecutive cheese steak meal, and hence I was tired of it and did not even want to hear the word "cheese steak". After lunch,we decided to head home early and the drive was smooth with minimal traffic and we had no major weather issues as predicted. Thus ended our "Phily Cheese Steak" Tour...
Highlights of the trip
Contrary to our original plan to visit Harrisburg & Gettysburg on the weekend of June 11, we headed out to Philadelphia due to a storm moving in to the North East which was likely to cause severe thunder storms in Mid Pennsylvania. We did get a few showers while we were in Philadelphia but overall the weather was pretty good.
We reached Philadelphia around mid day and headed to Steve's Cheese Steak place and had lunch there. It was a tad bit pricey but the food was pretty savory. After lunch we headed to Independence Park and spent the entire afternoon and evening exploring a part of Philadelphia we never knew existed. We visited the independence hall, the liberty bell, and walked around the park and the vicinity. We even so a Junior Ranger getting sworn in to the National Park Systems. Ajo did say Congrats to the girl and I am not quite sure if she was happy about a stranger shaking her hands.
I was pondering what to eat for dinner but apparently it was cheese steak again. We headed to Pat's King of Steak's. Located next to their competitor Gino's, and in the corner of a busy single lane intersection, the lines ended up in the road. Not the safest situation but we did decide to stay in line and finally came to the counter after about a hour of wait. By dinner time, I was not a fan of cheese steaks anymore but I did have a taste. Ajo and Justin loved what they ate but had a few criticisms. By this time, it was about 10PM and we headed to the hotel we had booked through hotels.com only to realize when we got there that they had overbooked that particular hotel. Hence, we had to go to another hotel nearby. Tired and a little annoyed we drove some more miles to the hotel. We were lucky to receive the room since it was raining pretty hard by the time we reached the hotel.
We woke up the next morning to another day and as previously planned we headed out to the 7 mile road church pastor-ed by Ajay Thomas. We had a great time in worship and we met some old friends, made some new friends, and chatted with church members. We pray that God raise up that church to be a beacon of light in that area and already He has started a good work and will surely make His plans to come to pass.
After Church, lunch was again at another cheese steak place called Tony Luke's. By now this was the 3rd consecutive cheese steak meal, and hence I was tired of it and did not even want to hear the word "cheese steak". After lunch,we decided to head home early and the drive was smooth with minimal traffic and we had no major weather issues as predicted. Thus ended our "Phily Cheese Steak" Tour...
Highlights of the trip
- Independence Park
- The Phily Cheese Steaks
- 7 Mile Road Church
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Days in Maine
Driving to Maine was a dream of ours since we got back from our road trip last August. We have been planning for this 4 day trip for over 3 months. See the previous post about Day 1.
After that intense night in Bangor, Maine, we woke up to clear skies. Surprisingly not a drop of water touched the ground in Bangor, Maine. Just another witness of God's mercy towards us.
Thurday June 2, 2011
We headed to Lubec, Maine which is the eastern most point in the contiguous US, about 2 hours away from Bangor, ME. We drove to the US/Canada security check point area where you enter Canada at New Brunswick. Then, we drove to the West Quoddy Head light house, a few miles away from downtown Lubec. I think we were all in consensus that it was the most aesthetic light house that we have seen so far. The bright red and white stripes, combined with the contrast of the blue skies, the green grass, and the brilliant hue of the water made the light house stand out like one of a kind. We captured some phenomenal shots while we enjoyed the serenity of the place. We drove to Bar Harbor that evening and had a Maine lobster dinner at the West Street Cafe, a place which was recommended by our hotel owner. The prices were decent and we got some first time experience cracking lobsters. I have to admit that it was a lot of work. They do work you for your lobster. The meal was satiating ending with a Maine blueberry pie. We slept in Arorra Inn which was located near downtown Bar Harbor. The prices where very reasonable and the service was great.
Friday June 3, 2011
We woke up at 3:30 or so to drive up to Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park to see a sunrise. Unfortunately, the temperature was about 40 degrees and with the wind factor and elevation, it probably felt like the 30's. Winter weather in June. We were definitely not prepared for it. Ajo had a half sleeves shirt on and Justin had what he called a "fleece". It was not enough. I was almost bundled up but still it was not worth the pain and agony to watch a cloudy sunrise. We rushed back to the car and to make a long story short, we learned a great deal from this experience.
We drove around the park till about 8AM and returned to the Bar Harbor to have breakfast. We spent the remainder of the park enjoying scenic pull outs at Thunder Hole, Otter Cove and Sand beach. Later that afternoon we hiked up to the bubble rock around 4PM. It was such an awesome experience. The hike was about 1 mile but it felt longer and the rocky trail made coming down more challenging than climbing up. We ended our day back at the Cadillac Mountain enjoying the view and watching a brilliant sunset. We had pizza that night from a local place which we enjoyed as usual.
Saturday June 4, 2011
We woke up once again early at 4AM to enjoy the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain but this time we were bundled up with the resources we had available. Lot more people were already bundled up and waiting for the sunrise than the previous day. It was a phenomenal sunrise that morning. It was definitely worth the agony of waking up early.
After the sun rose, we visited Jordan pond and drove to the Bass Harbor Head light house. We left Bar Harbor around 12 noon and drove through Augusta and stopped by the capitol building for a quick visit. We headed back home through Portland, ME where we enjoyed some lobster rolls and calm chowder. We got home past midnight. God's amazing love and protection was visible the entire road to Maine and back. How amazing are the roads less traveled!
Highlights of the trip:
After that intense night in Bangor, Maine, we woke up to clear skies. Surprisingly not a drop of water touched the ground in Bangor, Maine. Just another witness of God's mercy towards us.
Thurday June 2, 2011
We headed to Lubec, Maine which is the eastern most point in the contiguous US, about 2 hours away from Bangor, ME. We drove to the US/Canada security check point area where you enter Canada at New Brunswick. Then, we drove to the West Quoddy Head light house, a few miles away from downtown Lubec. I think we were all in consensus that it was the most aesthetic light house that we have seen so far. The bright red and white stripes, combined with the contrast of the blue skies, the green grass, and the brilliant hue of the water made the light house stand out like one of a kind. We captured some phenomenal shots while we enjoyed the serenity of the place. We drove to Bar Harbor that evening and had a Maine lobster dinner at the West Street Cafe, a place which was recommended by our hotel owner. The prices were decent and we got some first time experience cracking lobsters. I have to admit that it was a lot of work. They do work you for your lobster. The meal was satiating ending with a Maine blueberry pie. We slept in Arorra Inn which was located near downtown Bar Harbor. The prices where very reasonable and the service was great.
Friday June 3, 2011
We woke up at 3:30 or so to drive up to Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park to see a sunrise. Unfortunately, the temperature was about 40 degrees and with the wind factor and elevation, it probably felt like the 30's. Winter weather in June. We were definitely not prepared for it. Ajo had a half sleeves shirt on and Justin had what he called a "fleece". It was not enough. I was almost bundled up but still it was not worth the pain and agony to watch a cloudy sunrise. We rushed back to the car and to make a long story short, we learned a great deal from this experience.
We drove around the park till about 8AM and returned to the Bar Harbor to have breakfast. We spent the remainder of the park enjoying scenic pull outs at Thunder Hole, Otter Cove and Sand beach. Later that afternoon we hiked up to the bubble rock around 4PM. It was such an awesome experience. The hike was about 1 mile but it felt longer and the rocky trail made coming down more challenging than climbing up. We ended our day back at the Cadillac Mountain enjoying the view and watching a brilliant sunset. We had pizza that night from a local place which we enjoyed as usual.
Saturday June 4, 2011
We woke up once again early at 4AM to enjoy the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain but this time we were bundled up with the resources we had available. Lot more people were already bundled up and waiting for the sunrise than the previous day. It was a phenomenal sunrise that morning. It was definitely worth the agony of waking up early.
After the sun rose, we visited Jordan pond and drove to the Bass Harbor Head light house. We left Bar Harbor around 12 noon and drove through Augusta and stopped by the capitol building for a quick visit. We headed back home through Portland, ME where we enjoyed some lobster rolls and calm chowder. We got home past midnight. God's amazing love and protection was visible the entire road to Maine and back. How amazing are the roads less traveled!
Highlights of the trip:
- Lubec, Maine
- Acadia National Park
- Capitol building at Augusta
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Warning or Watch
Thoughts from Bangor, Maine
About a week and a half ago, parts of Joplin, MO was demolished by a powerful tornado which caused the lives of 134 people. Today, we are in our hotel room in Bangor, ME, tracking tornadoes in the North East which has already touched Springfield, MA causing fatalities, injuries and a great amount of damage. Other parts of the New England area are witnessing damaging winds, hail, and severe thunder storms. MA is in a State of Emergency and the storm has been under keen radar tracking on the News Channels.
Are we under a watch or warning?
Much of New England is either under a tornado warning or tornado watch. Warning is more of a threat for impending tornado. At present, Bangor is under a watch until 11 PM.
Not just the North East!
This weather is not just affecting the North East area but tornadoes has been spotted in the West Coast in California, and Mid-West in Kansas - Nebraska area.
Are we safe?
We worry about severe storms in life but ultimately we have a Sovereign God who is the ultimate Storm Watcher who controls everything and holds everything in the palm of His hand. God sometimes permits storms to pass above and below us but it never touches us. Even in the midst of the storm He is with us. He will wake up and calm the storm for sure. We just need to call on Him just as the disciples did.
As I sit here and pen these words, I cannot say I am not worried but the calm sky outside our hotel room is definitely helping me to stay calm. Regardless whether we are going through a warning or a watch, the lesson is to wake up and be alert. Today, I pray for Renewal, Rebuilding and Restoration in the affected areas as well as in our personal relationships with God.
About a week and a half ago, parts of Joplin, MO was demolished by a powerful tornado which caused the lives of 134 people. Today, we are in our hotel room in Bangor, ME, tracking tornadoes in the North East which has already touched Springfield, MA causing fatalities, injuries and a great amount of damage. Other parts of the New England area are witnessing damaging winds, hail, and severe thunder storms. MA is in a State of Emergency and the storm has been under keen radar tracking on the News Channels.
Are we under a watch or warning?
Much of New England is either under a tornado warning or tornado watch. Warning is more of a threat for impending tornado. At present, Bangor is under a watch until 11 PM.
Not just the North East!
This weather is not just affecting the North East area but tornadoes has been spotted in the West Coast in California, and Mid-West in Kansas - Nebraska area.
Are we safe?
We worry about severe storms in life but ultimately we have a Sovereign God who is the ultimate Storm Watcher who controls everything and holds everything in the palm of His hand. God sometimes permits storms to pass above and below us but it never touches us. Even in the midst of the storm He is with us. He will wake up and calm the storm for sure. We just need to call on Him just as the disciples did.
As I sit here and pen these words, I cannot say I am not worried but the calm sky outside our hotel room is definitely helping me to stay calm. Regardless whether we are going through a warning or a watch, the lesson is to wake up and be alert. Today, I pray for Renewal, Rebuilding and Restoration in the affected areas as well as in our personal relationships with God.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Memorial Weekend in Virginia
May 27, Friday
We left our home at 7PM and headed to Baltimore, MD. Half asleep and tired we walked into Waffle House at 12 midnight for a really late dinner. I have to say that the meal was really sumptuous. We got to our hotel room around 1AM at Homewood Suites near the Baltimore area tired but yet excited for the days ahead.
May 28, Saturday
I have to say that it was pretty difficult to wake up Saturday morning and to start moving. To add to it, I had terrible allergies and could not breathe easy. I remember feeling so lousy and really sick. I remember asking God for healing so I would have some relief from the allergies. I immediately felt it. God's touch was amazing and His healing was instantaneous. I felt better that morning and started breathing so much more easier after about a week of nasal congestion. God is so great that when you really cry out to Him, He comes through like a gentle breeze and gives strength and relief. Going through that moment was so awesome that truly I cannot put them in words.
After breakfast, we headed to Richmond, Virginia to visit the State Capitol building. The architecture was beautiful and the Capitol grounds was well manicured. That evening we headed to Harrisonburg through Charlottesville, VA.
May 29, Sunday
We drove to the Southern entrance of Shenondoah National Park in the morning. Skyline drive, the 105 mile single road that goes from South to North was an amazing scenic drive.
The park was not that crowded due to the time of the year and the weather was gorgeous with blue skies with temperatures in the low 80's. The bugs and flies hovered the park. Justin got attacked by mosquitoes, Ajo ate a bug, and a bug went into my eye and came out dead. Yes.. it was that bad. We definitely had a chuckle from these experiences.
What is a visit to a National Park without a hike? We did go on a 1.5 mile hike to the the Dark Hollow Falls. It was a great experience and Ajo was able to take some shots of the waterfall. The walk back was hilly and tiring and by the time we got up we were totally wiped out. My brother in-law said that he spotted a deer, and a millipede on the hike and almost got a ranger badge.
We drove to the Northern end of the park just in time to watch a sunset.
Sunday night we stayed in Winchester, VA.
May 30, Monday
Monday morning we work up at 4:30AM to catch a 5: 40 AM sunrise. It was truly an adventure. We did leave a little late and since we were not going to get to our destination prior to the sunrise time, Ajo got dropped off on the side of a beautiful meadow on Skyline Drive while I parked the car and joined him. We spent the rest of the morning enjoying the breeze, and the serenity of the park. It almost felt surreal to be in tune with nature and God's creation. We couldn't contain the joy so we sang some songs and prayed in wide-open. Though no camera captured that moment, our minds took mental images that no man can erase. It was truly awesome.
After brunch, we headed back on our drive back home. We took turns driving while we talked, laughed, and listened to soulful songs and messages. Even though, our vacation was short, it felt that it lasted a life time. Moreover, we did not feel tired when we got home, but felt energized, refreshed, and really content with the short break from normalcy of life. Amazing!
Highlights of the trip
We left our home at 7PM and headed to Baltimore, MD. Half asleep and tired we walked into Waffle House at 12 midnight for a really late dinner. I have to say that the meal was really sumptuous. We got to our hotel room around 1AM at Homewood Suites near the Baltimore area tired but yet excited for the days ahead.
May 28, Saturday
I have to say that it was pretty difficult to wake up Saturday morning and to start moving. To add to it, I had terrible allergies and could not breathe easy. I remember feeling so lousy and really sick. I remember asking God for healing so I would have some relief from the allergies. I immediately felt it. God's touch was amazing and His healing was instantaneous. I felt better that morning and started breathing so much more easier after about a week of nasal congestion. God is so great that when you really cry out to Him, He comes through like a gentle breeze and gives strength and relief. Going through that moment was so awesome that truly I cannot put them in words.
After breakfast, we headed to Richmond, Virginia to visit the State Capitol building. The architecture was beautiful and the Capitol grounds was well manicured. That evening we headed to Harrisonburg through Charlottesville, VA.
May 29, Sunday
We drove to the Southern entrance of Shenondoah National Park in the morning. Skyline drive, the 105 mile single road that goes from South to North was an amazing scenic drive.
The park was not that crowded due to the time of the year and the weather was gorgeous with blue skies with temperatures in the low 80's. The bugs and flies hovered the park. Justin got attacked by mosquitoes, Ajo ate a bug, and a bug went into my eye and came out dead. Yes.. it was that bad. We definitely had a chuckle from these experiences.
What is a visit to a National Park without a hike? We did go on a 1.5 mile hike to the the Dark Hollow Falls. It was a great experience and Ajo was able to take some shots of the waterfall. The walk back was hilly and tiring and by the time we got up we were totally wiped out. My brother in-law said that he spotted a deer, and a millipede on the hike and almost got a ranger badge.
We drove to the Northern end of the park just in time to watch a sunset.
Sunday night we stayed in Winchester, VA.
May 30, Monday
Monday morning we work up at 4:30AM to catch a 5: 40 AM sunrise. It was truly an adventure. We did leave a little late and since we were not going to get to our destination prior to the sunrise time, Ajo got dropped off on the side of a beautiful meadow on Skyline Drive while I parked the car and joined him. We spent the rest of the morning enjoying the breeze, and the serenity of the park. It almost felt surreal to be in tune with nature and God's creation. We couldn't contain the joy so we sang some songs and prayed in wide-open. Though no camera captured that moment, our minds took mental images that no man can erase. It was truly awesome.
After brunch, we headed back on our drive back home. We took turns driving while we talked, laughed, and listened to soulful songs and messages. Even though, our vacation was short, it felt that it lasted a life time. Moreover, we did not feel tired when we got home, but felt energized, refreshed, and really content with the short break from normalcy of life. Amazing!
Highlights of the trip
- State Capitol
- Shenondoah National Park
Monday, May 23, 2011
Roadtrip to Maryland
After a period of hibernation we took a road trip to Maryland this past weekend. It was tiresome but it was truly an amazing time. The weather was beautiful all weekend.
We left our home at about 7AM in the morning. We drove through NJ and Delaware to our destination Annapolis, Maryland. We visited the State Capital building and headed to Baltimore, MD. We spent the evening at the historic Mt. Vernon district in MD.
Saturday evening, we drove to Rockville, MD to spent the night there. The next morning we attended Covenant Life Church in Gaithersbug. It was an awesome time of worship and praise. We headed home after lunch and reached back home around 11PM.
Highlights of the trip
We left our home at about 7AM in the morning. We drove through NJ and Delaware to our destination Annapolis, Maryland. We visited the State Capital building and headed to Baltimore, MD. We spent the evening at the historic Mt. Vernon district in MD.
Saturday evening, we drove to Rockville, MD to spent the night there. The next morning we attended Covenant Life Church in Gaithersbug. It was an awesome time of worship and praise. We headed home after lunch and reached back home around 11PM.
Highlights of the trip
- State Capitol Building
- Worship at Covenant Life
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